NASCAR looking for suggestions on how to make the racing better, in Tuesday meetings with Cup teams
NASCAR's Mike Helton: the Boss. And this dog will bite (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
mikemulhern.net
CONCORD, N.C.
The shape of Tuesday's big meeting between NASCAR officials and Sprint Cup teams is slowly becoming clearer: And it is now sizing up as a day-long series of small meetings, rather than any full townhall scene.
Each of NASCAR's top Cup operations will have its own individual face-to-face with NASCAR executives, to discuss ideas and raise suggestions about what NASCAR could do to make Cup racing more compelling – for better TV ratings and for better ticket sales.
All Cup team owners and their drivers are expected to attend the sessions at NASCAR's nearby R&D center.
And TV cameras and media are expected to camp outside the center for post-meeting interviews….though it's unlikely that any of the participants will willing to offer much insight on-the-record.
No specific agenda items have been listed, but one hot topic is expected to be the car-of-tomorrow, which has become an expensive engineering problem for crews, particularly small teams without the hefty engineering and computer expertise.
The Carl Edwards-Brad Keselowski-Ryan Newman crash at Talladega could be another issue. NASCAR has said little about what it might want to do to deal with that issue of flying race cars, though Newman himself has said several times it is a major issue that needs to be attacked.
The Indianapolis Brickyard 400 race, July 26th, may be another issue for discussion, because that track's slightly-grooved surface has been a cheese-grater for NASCAR tires, despite numerous tests by Goodyear. A significant part of the problem is that stock cars tend to skate through the tight corners, unlike Indy-cars, which have much more aerodynamic downforce and can thus better grip the track. Lightening NASCAR stockers is one possibility that has been raised; however it would take a significant drop in weight to make any significant difference, and the 25-pound cut so far proposed is unlikely to make much difference. Changing the aerodynamics of the nose of these stockers has been proposed too, even to the point of lengthening the nose, and/or altering the chassis suspension enough to allow the cars to 'travel' with shocks and springs.
Other items that teams may well bring up: the costs of racing, though one team manager, only half-jokingly, said "If NASCAR were going to be doing any serious talking here about cutting costs, they wouldn't have invited drivers."
Typically when NASCAR invites drivers to a meeting, the gist of it is a basic 'shut up and drive,' as last summer at Michigan, or to discuss safety issues, such as at Richmond two years ago, when drivers were herded out of the track for a 'secret' meeting.
Driver salaries are a large part of a major team's operation budget. For example, the two most popular drivers in the sport, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., made more than $30 million each last season.
NASCAR's testing ban may also be a topic. The big teams may well be in favor of keeping that ban, because it has effectively locked in their edge. But then smaller teams would likely be hard-pressed to keep up financially if NASCAR – as it had planned last summer – were to open up testing.
However, the timing of these meetings may be somewhat suspect – because Fox' David Hill, head of that network's sport operations, has according to sources been doing his own informal but detailed interviews with various teams and drivers. Hill, though he might publicly deny it, is reported to have taken some of the ideas raised in those discussions to NASCAR execs himself.
Fox TV's NASCAR ratings have been in a slump this season, down more than 10 percent.
Those sluggish ratings not only make it more difficult for TV network salesmen to get good advertising dollars, the ratings issue also worries team owners who have to negotiate sponsorships.
Now when I'm looking for good advice, this is the first man I go to -- Jeff Burton (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Restrictor Plate Racing
I think the new rules that were in place at Talladega failed the drivers, the TV audience and the fans in the stands. It was boring. I have a suggestion that is a little on the aggressive side of a fix but I truly believe this to be the best fix for getting rid of restrictor plate racing.
On the back stretch at Daytona and Talladega, put in a chicane that will slow the cars to approximately pit road speed. Take the restrictor plate off and let them have at it. Cost is minimal and it should be a much more entertaining race for everyone. I'm sure the driver's would welcome it as it has to be boring for them driving around in a 190 mph parade. It would offer true passing opportunities by out-breaking an opponent and will slow the cars enough that the overall lap speed would be reduced significantly.
Restrictor plate racing is horrible. Something has to be done to get rid of the restrictor plates and chicanes are a viable option in my opinion.
suggestions
how about a few more road course races, i know that a bunch of the more seasoned fans dont like the road races, but you have to give up some respect for the drivers when they spend all year turning left, and then twice a year they turn right and left, woah! how about road america, or road atlanta, sebring, or the infield of daytona would be effin awesome! i wish there were a way to get this all the way to mike helton to review and atleast think about, i know dale sr. would be all for it. if its a race and someone thinks they are better than dale sr. i know he'd be there to give anyone a run for their money. plus it shakes things up a bit in the points. people dont finish where they normally would if suppose they were on a 1.5 mile oval as apposed to being on a 12-15 turn track. this could even bring in more fans, which would be more money. money for sponsors, money for broadcasters, money for nascar, money for mechandisers. money money money, it could even convince a few more of the indy or f1 guys, and girls to convert over to nascar. race in japan again, that was cool that one year they did it, i think jr. n sr. finsihed one two didnt they? i dunno i could be wrong but i know sr. won.
I agree -- though David Poole
I agree -- though David Poole would say I'm crazy -- that NASCAR could use a couple more road course races -- I thought the action in Mexico City was pretty darned good, all in all. And Montreal is just a no-brainer (except don't try to run it in the rain). Not so sure about keeping Watkins Glen on the schedule though, because there's no there there. And my dream would be for NASCAR and Toyota to figure out a way to put NASCAR stockers in the Long Beach Grand Prix course -- if LA won't come to Fontana, let's take NASCAR to downtown LA. Bill France Jr. had Richard Childress build a special L-R (left-right) car when he wanted to put the series in at the Glen but didn't know if these heavy stockers would work there. Maybe we could try something like that again. I know street races are typically yo-yo things, but Monaco seems to make for a pretty good F1 show. Let's have Juan Pablo Montoya redesign Long Beach (and Sonoma) for NASCAR.
And, uh, Shanghai anyone?
They Already Know How To Make It Better
NASCAR and everyone involved already know the formula for the sport's best racing - it's the restrictor plate-roof blade-high downforce formula, a formula that has consistently proven itself year after year. Yet it seems NASCAR either wants to please too many people to put its foot down or is paralyzed by computer simulations of what MIGHT go wrong - that reported sim of a plated Fontana showing "it won't work" needs to be explored because it seems some bogus premises went into the sim to make the result that came.
There is certainly an angle of John Darby involved, for since Darby became Winston Cup's top cop the rules packages that have been put in have done everything wrong and seem to be based on a fraudulent premise - every change (and the combination of changes) has been to take away downforce, and the result has not worked.
The COT design certainly needs to be abandoned - the long nose/flush airdam/chopped roofline/larger blade spoiler package of before was fundamentally more sound.
Charles
They are talking to the wrong crowd, if they are going to make racing better!
These owners and drivers are part of the problem, the team owners like the rules that save them money, such as the car of tomorrow! Same spec engine, etc! ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE MAKING IT BORING!
NASCAR needs to hold meeting with "Fans" for ideas to make racing better! These things will not be cheap, do away with "look alike cars",make the raceday more important, pay more points or money for laps led at each race! Something to create excitement not to save a team money!More uniform rules, and do away with some of the rules, Nascar is like the government sometimes to many rules and regulations that get in the way of racing! Yellow line at Daytona and Talledaga etc!
Yes NASCAR has a problem and it is trying to be to "polical correct" what made racing was it was an honest sport run by racers and owners with passion, now it is run by Big Business, used to when a car was so dominate you used to wonder what was under the hood, a lot of times other car owners would protest and check engine out in the open, this created transparecy, now you wonder when you see a car domninate, what Nascar did to help let this car win!
Not all Hotels in Dover are FAN FRIENDLY!
I WAS planning on attending the upcoming race in Dover next week-end, being a season ticket holder for years however, with the price of gas and especially hotels, the tickets will be sold if we can sell them. The track has a list of hotels they recommened due to a "Fan-friendly" agreement. Some have lowered the minimum night stay to 2 nights but some of the rates that go along with that were $189 & $225 PER NIGHT plus tax. Add the 2 or 3 night minimum to that and well, I just assumed rates would be less than that especially for families that want to attend. The hotel expense is larger that the tickets sometimes. One hotel had availability and the track website stated this one hotel had a 2 night minimum stay. Well, guess what happened when I called. Sure, they had rooms available but you had to stay 3 nights minimum or not at all. Losing the money on the tickets is not as bad as paying almost triple or more for a hotel.
Double file restarts
Lots they can do to make it better
But a simple thing, is Double file restarts, costs nothing, and lets the leaders race, without getting trapped behind lapped cars
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